


Golden

by Ozma (babygotbooks)



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Courtship, F/M, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 17:36:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21342079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babygotbooks/pseuds/Ozma
Summary: Canon divergence. Suppose Gilbert had beat Charlie to the punch after dance practice and walked Anne home?
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 206





	Golden

“Anne!”

She whipped around, ears burning. Her heart was racing, drawing her whole body taught.

Gilbert’s eyes were wide and almost frightened. His voice had cracked on her name. “May I… walk with you?”

“_Walk with me_, walk with me?” she asked, her own voice pitching high. Charlie Sloane emerged from the schoolhouse behind Gilbert, tall, lanky and heavy browed. “Yes! Thank you, Gilbert.” she said, panicked. Gilbert looked over his shoulder. Anne charged forward, raw, nervous energy, and pulled him along. When they were far enough from the schoolhouse, a confused Charlie standing in the middle of the path, Anne let her hand slip. Gilbert caught it.

“Are you avoiding Charlie?” he asked, amused.

“Don’t be offended. I really do prefer your company over his.”

He quirked an eyebrow. It was a handsome one. Anne had never noticed. She looked down at their hands. “That was probably very improper,” she muttered, pulling away.

“What is propriety, anyway?” Gilbert mused. “Shall we?”

They walked in silence for a while until they reached a part of the path where the trees crowded closer together, forming narrow arches. Anne paused. “Isn’t this where we first met?”

Gilbert smiled softly at her. “It is.” No one else was around. “Did… did you enjoy the dancing today?”

Anne met his gaze. Time held its breath. “I did, yes. You?”

“I… yes.” His eyes were soft, deeply focused on her. “When we were dancing, I felt so warm and calm. Sometimes, when I’m with you, it’s so nice that time seems to stand still. Do… do you ever feel like that? Is it just me?”

Anne was so embarrassed she could barely breathe. _What is propriety, anyway?_ Gilbert had mused, but this was so forward. Vulnerable. And yet, it was exactly what she needed to hear, because she’d been struggling of a way to put it to words, because

“I feel _exactly_ the same way!” she breathed out, heart racing.

Gilbert smiled brightly. The same relief she felt cooling her blood was washing over him, too. She hadn’t imagined it. Dancing wasn’t supposed to be like that with just anyone.

“I didn’t hold out much hope,” he confessed. “You’ve been… quicker to temper lately. With me in particular."

That temper flared up suddenly, but Anne squashed it down. This was a second chance to apologize. It was more than that. This was her chance to start building something with Gilbert. He put down the cornerstone first, so now she had to add to the foundation.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been stressed.” She took a deep breath. “I was so excited for my birthday this year. I thought I’d finally left my childhood behind me, but problems at sixteen are bigger than those at fifteen.”

“You were just frustrated because you still don’t have the independence you crave?”

“Partly. Finding out about who I am and where I come from is so important, but Marilla worries so much I feel as though she doesn't trust me. Just because I'm a girl. The rules that govern our gender are _preposterous_. The other thing was that my feelings are all over the place. When I talked to you about the take notice board… that was another time I felt as though we were the only two people in the room, but when I remembered Ruby, I got flustered. I had no idea why. I think I’ve just been in denial about… about _you_ for too long.”

They were silent for a long minute. Gilbert exhaled shakily. “Why is not every body as happy?” he murmured.

Anne blushed. “Austen?”

Gilbert laughed. Anne laughed with him, but it was light and filling. Though Gilbert’s words were not his own, but she shared the sentiment.

“When you said that you thought you’d left your childhood behind, does that mean you don’t consider yourself grown up quite yet?” he finally asked. “Should I not ask to walk you home tomorrow?”

Anne’s heart leaped at the possibility of _tomorrow_.

“What I meant was that I’m still going to make mistakes, even though I’m nearly of age now. They might be very big mistakes,” she warned him.

They started walking again. Anne looked over her shoulder at the spot between the trees where they’d first met. “You were very gallant that day,” she ventured. “Saving me from Billy.”

“I’m glad that was your first impression of me. Every so often I seem to be out of your favor,” he teased back.

“We have bigger problems to deal with now. I think we can bury the hatchet for good. We may have disagreements as soon as tomorrow even, but I’m willing to work on… this.” She clutched her books tightly to her chest and smiled into the pressed pages.

“Anne,” he said seriously. She stopped. “Can we agree that we both feel the same way about each other? Can I promise you that what we are building together is important to me, but I plan to take my time?” His gaze was sincere and hopeful. Anne nodded without speaking, too afraid to break the warm stillness of the moment. “I want to be clear with you just the same. Just this once.” Very carefully, he reached out and took one of her hands in his. “I’ve loved you from the moment you struck me over the head with that slate, Anne.”

She broke out into laughter and happy tears. Gilbert pulled her a little closer.

“I want to do things properly, but we both have such big ambitions. I don’t want anything to get in our way. Does a long courtship suit you?”

“Gilbert, I love you completely. Just this once, I won’t argue with you. A long courtship suits me perfectly.”

Tears of happiness shone in his eyes, too. “Will you dance with me at the fair?”

“Yes, of course.”

They walked the rest of the way to Green Gables hand in hand.

“I’m bringing a friend to the fair, actually,” Gilbert said outside the gate. “I think you’ll like her.”

“Oh?” Anne’s attempt to soothe her sudden flare of jealousy failed. Gilbert grinned at her.

“She works in Dr. Ward’s office. Her family is new to Charlottetown and they’ve never been to a fair. I made a promise in exchange for advice.”

“Of what nature?”

“Romantical,” Gilbert replied playfully. “I think she sensed that I was having girl troubles, so we’ve been out to tea once or twice to work on my etiquette.”

Anne laughed. “You had _lessons_ on how to ask if you could court me?”

“It worked!”

“So it did. I’d be delighted to meet your friend.” She glanced over her shoulder. In the distance, Matthew was working in his vegetable garden. “I don’t suppose she has any advice on how we should proceed where parents are concerned?”

“I’ll talk to Mr. Cuthbert after the fair to discuss my intentions,” he promised. “I think he and Marilla will approve of our plan to prolong certain events until after Queens.”

“They know my thirst for adventure and need for an independent life before everything. They’ll understand.”

He squeezed her hand. “Until tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she breathed, and then, because _What is propriety, anyway?_ she boosted herself on a rail of the fence and gently planted her lips on his. His face was shocked and pleased all at once when she pulled away. Heart soaring, she left him there and walked back home, basking in the golden feeling of new love.

**Author's Note:**

> Gilbert quotes Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen) after she is engaged to Mr. Bingley.


End file.
